Sports: Belmont Field Hockey Seeded 4th in North Sectional with Two Possible Home Games

Photo: Belmont High Field Hockey. 

All the hard work and persistence paid off for the Belmont High School Field Hockey team as the 14-2 Marauders are seeded 4th in the Division 1 North sectional tournament, giving Belmont possibly two home games until the semifinals.

The Middlesex League Liberty Division champions will host 13th-ranked Central Catholic of Lawrence (10-6-2) from the tough Merrimack Valley Large League on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 2:30 p.m. at Harris Field. 

If victorious, Belmont will take on the winner of the 5th-seed Masconomet Regional of Boxford, which won the Cape Ann League, at 15-2-1 and 12th-seed Haverhill High (10-6-1). 

The quarterfinal match will likely take place on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Harris Field. A time has not been set just yet for the game.

If the Marauders win its home games, it will likely mean a clash with undefeated and untied Acton- Boxborough, (19-0-0), the second-ranked team statewide behind only Watertown and number one seed in the sectionals. Last week, the Colonials were ranked 9th nationally by MAX Field Hockey.

Trapelo Road Paving Resumes Monday, Except Delays Along Route

Photo: Paving work in Belmont.

Starting at 5:30 a.m., Monday, Nov. 2, construction crews will resume paving Trapelo Road between Waverley and Cushing squares, according to Belmont Police.

The current construction schedule has paving work occurring on Monday, Nov. 2, Wednesday, Nov. 4, and Thursday, Nov. 5.

Police and town officials warn motorists to expect delays along the major thoroughfare that runs the length of Belmont from the Waltham to Cambridge town lines.

Town officials said that paving work is weather dependent and that the current schedule may fluctuate, although the latest forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures reaching the mid-60s into the 70s by the end of the week.

Due to cold temperatures it is not possible to complete the work during the overnight hours, necessitating daytime paving.

Questions about the project may be directed to the Office of Community Development at 617-993-2650.

Sports: Belmont Swimming Can’t Defuse Rockets at Home, Sets Sights on League Meet

Photo: Jessica Blake-West swimming the 100 butterfly against Reading.

“No tears,” said long-time Belmont High Head Coach Ev Crosscup as he talked to his girls’ swimming and diving team after falling to the visiting Reading Memorial High School in the final dual meet of the season, and clinching the regular season Middlesex League championships to the Rockets on Wednesday, Oct. 28. 

And like a good coach will also do, Crosscup took the blame for the 96-84 defeat at the Higgenbottom Pool. 

“I told [the girls] they should hold their heads up high. It was just some little things that, in hindsight, we could have done better, and I accepted the blame for that,” said Crosscup.

“They did nothing wrong. I should have had them just a little bit better prepared. But we can’t take anything away from Reading. They were the better team today,” he said.

In fact, the meet came down to the final relay, the 4×400-yard freestyle, in which Belmont needed to win and a second for a win, and a win and a third place finish for a tie. By the final leg, as Belmont’s senior captain Jessie Blake-West took off from the blocks, she was nearly 10 yards behind Reading’s sprint specialist senior captain Christina Tzianabos, who finished eighth in the 100-yard freestyle in last year’s state championships. But in one of the most impressive swims of the season, Blake-West cut seconds off the advantage, chasing down and nearly catching Tzinanbos, being inched out by less that a half a second as the standing-room-only crowd urged her on.

“She’s exceptional. [Blake-West] is a once-in-a-lifetime swimmer to coach,” said Crosscup.

While Reading, coached by Hall of Famer Lois Margeson – in her 28th season – threw down personal best times, the Marauders appeared less than sharp in the water.

The sense that something was amiss came in the first event, the 200-yard medley relay in which Belmont is the defending Div. 2 state champions. While Blake-West (in her favorite butterfly) and breaststroker Emily Quinn established a lead, it wasn’t enough of a buffer as Tzinanbos swam down Belmont’s Solvay Metelmann to out touch the senior by six-hundredth of a second (1:55.50 to 1:55.56).

And while Belmont won the same number of events as Reading (five to five with a tie), the Rockets came up big in what has been a Belmont bug-a-boo for the past two years, the sprint freestyles, (the 50 and 100 yards) taking home a total of 22 points to only 10 for the Marauders.

One bright spot in the frees was Belmont’s freshman Nicole Kalavantis, who dominated the distances, winning the 500 yard going under five-and-a-half minutes (5:28.91) and the 200 (2:04.59) where she pulled away from Reading’s freshman phenom and winner of the 100 yards free, Marie Letendre.

“Our freestylers did a wonderful job. [Reading] just has some real strong ones,” said Crosscup.

Blake-West dominated the two individual events in which she won at last year’s state championship, the 200 individual medley (2:14.62) and the 100 butterfly, in which she swam in 57.10. 

Belmont’s diving stalwart Cynthia Kelsey took home a comfortable 266.70 to 199.73 point decision over freshman Maddie Doyle in the 1 meter. 

In some surprising results, Belmont lost each of the relays (200, 400 and medley) and Quinn, who finished third in last year’s state championships, was caught and passed in the 100 breast by yet another Rocket freshman, Anna Roberts, 1:11.00 to 1:11.57. 

When Blake-West could not make a remarkable comeback in the final event and the handshakes given, the team sat before Crosscup, who was sitting on a starting block. Rather than speak about the meet, he congratulated swimmers who set times that qualified them for the coming sectional and state championships.

And Crosscup was already thinking about the league meet being held Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 4 and 5, at Bentley College. 

“We should be solid at the league meet. I think we could win that,” he said. “I’ve always felt that the League meet is the true test of who is the best.”

Before leaving the pool, the senior co-captains led the team in the team cheer, as they looked forward to the league meet and the state championships.

This Week: Curtain’s Up on ‘The Laramie Project’, Early Release Wednesday

On the government side of This Week:

  • The Board of Selectmen will be meeting at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 at Town Hall.
  • The Planning Board is also meeting on Monday, Nov. 2  at 7 p.m. but in the Homer Building where they will hear requests for decks, a floor addition and two special permits for home day care centers.

Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Monday, Nov. 2. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• Belmont’s Leah Brams will seek her third title in four years when she and the Marauders race at the Middlesex League meet at Woburn Country Club on Monday, Nov. 2. The race should begin at 3:30-ish p.m.

• The Belmont Boosters are meeting in Room 113 at Belmont High School, 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries.

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • Pre-School Storytime at the Belmont Public beginning at 9:30 a.m.We’ll read longer books, sing and dance, and make simple crafts. For 3-5-year-olds with a longer attention span.

State Rep. Dave Rogers will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3.

• It’s an early release day for Belmont’s elementary, middle school and high school students on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Crafternoon is for students in Kindergarten and elementary school (first to fourth grades) where students can get creative and do an assortment of crafts on this early release day, Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont Public Library is hosting the Harry Potter Fan Club on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room. 

• Everyone is invited to Chinese Storytime which will take place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 0n Wednesday, Nov. 4.

• Sustainable Belmont is holding its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. 

• The Belmont Historical Society’s Board meeting will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Claflin Room, on Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• The Belmont Council on Aging will host its inaugural Veterans’ Breakfast sponsored by East Cambridge Savings Bank, free for veterans on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Meet Belmont Veterans’ Service Officer Bob Upton, Council on Aging staff, and local representatives over coffee and breakfast. Breakfast is limited to 50; please call the Health Department at 617-993-2720 to reserve your seat.

• If you love building with LEGOs, the LEGOs Club is for you! Kids in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade will build with our LEGOs and we’ll put all the creations on display in the Children’s Room. The Club meets on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.
 
• The Belmont League of Women Voters monthly meeting is being held on Thursday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s Flett Room.
• The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s fall play, “The Laramie Project,” will be performed on Nov. 5, 6, and 7 at Belmont High School’s auditorium. The play is about the reaction of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, which was considered a hate crime. The play deals with sensitive subject matter and contains mature content and, therefore, is not suitable for children and parental discretion is strongly advised for young teens. A powerful night of theater. See here for more information. Buy tickets now online and at Champions in Belmont Center. Tickets: $15 adults, $10 non-BHS students, FREE for BHS students and staff.
 
• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Nov. 6, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the library’s Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.
• The Belmont Dramatic Club’s fall production of Tom Stoppard’s two one-act plays, “Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth” directed by Francine Davis will be performed on Nov. 6, 7, and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of Belmont’s historic Town Hall. On-line tickets: $20 at wotinfo@ or call belmontdramaticclub.org (617-460-2504 and leave a message.) The Christian Science Monitor calls the play: “A blend of comic nonsense and astringent political satire.”

Sports: Johnson’s 368 yards, 5 TDs Leads Belmont by Boston Latin, 50-20

Photo: Belmont High’s Mekhai Johnson. 

Belmont High School senior Mekhai Johnson solidified his place as one of the premier running backs in the state with a career highlight performance of 368 yards and five rushing touchdowns to lead the Marauders to a 50-20 win over host Boston Latin at Boston’s White Stadium in Boston. 

Under the Friday night lights, Johnson tore through the Wolfpack defense for touchdown runs of 69, 8, 32, 22 and 24, to power Belmont to its third win of the season (3-5), matching the number of victories the Marauders had last season. 

Johnson’s rush total is likely a new school one-game record while his 106 points on 17 rushing touchdowns are second only to Plymouth North’s Myles Uva’s 22 TDs and 132 points. 

Johnson scored this first four TDs in between two Latin scores, to lead the Marauders to a 27-14 lead at halftime. Belmont kept the ball in Johnson’s hands and one the ground overall as the Marauders marched for 485 team rushing yards as junior QB Cal Christofori scored from a yard out to put the game out of reach. 

Belmont finished off the scoring with a Ben Jones 15-yard scamper and a 32-yard field goal from Aiden Codgan.

Next Friday, Belmont will travel to Somerville to take on the Highlanders, which coincidently lost its game 50-20 to Masconomet Regional.

Halloween Comes to HELLcrest Road. All Hail the Black Cat!

Photo: Spooky on Hillcrest Road.

For 364 days a year, the residents of Hillcrest Road live normal lives of jobs, school and community, like their fellow Belmont neighbors.

But for one night a year, beginning at sunset on October 31, the tranquil tree-lined neighborhood transforms into a path of the dead, as the street metamorphizes into “Hellcrest” Road. 

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The skeletons of the dead arise from the ground and attics of the homes, to haunt all those who dare walk the street begging for treats. The remains of runners, soccer players, those who spent too much time in the sun and one superhero who spent a bit too much time around Kryptonite. There are ghosts and ghouls in the trees and big spiders on the ground.

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And they all point to the master of them all, reigning over the dead from the house on top of the ridge: The monstrous black cat, with its mad grin, towers over us all for one night. Hail, evil black cat! We are all but Kibble™ to your malicious Halloween plans. 

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Belmont Yard Sales: Oct 31

Photo: Yard sale in Belmont.

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.”

65 Bow St., Saturday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

85 Grove St., Saturday, Oct. 31, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

285 Waverley St., Saturday, Oct. 31, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Opinion: A Privately Funded Rink the Fiscally-Responsible Choice

By Ellen Schreiber

I’ve read several columns and postings about the new Belmont Youth Hockey skating rink proposal that are missing key information.

As a member of the Warrant Committee, charged with analyzing the town budget, I believe a new, privately funded rink is the only fiscally responsible choice for Belmont. (Note: The Warrant Committee has not reviewed the proposal. As an individual, I attended the School Committee discussion.)                                                        

Here is the information I heard at the rink presentation that is missing from the public debate. 

1. Privately Funded: Building a new rink would be entirely privately funded by generous citizens. No budget impact. No tax increase. This money is not available for other town projects and would not take away from other town priorities.

2. Rink failure: Engineering analysis confirmed that the only remaining compressor and piping are on the verge of failing. Systemic failure cannot be cheaply fixed and is at the bottom of the town’s capital spending priority list. 

3. Budget Impact: When the rink breaks, the school budget will incur more than $200,000 annually to rent ice time for Belmont High School hockey teams. Practically, there are no rinks in communities surrounding Belmont with available after school hours, so that $200,000 recurring budget item would likely yield practice times as late as 10 p.m.

4. Business Plan: Donors would loan the money to build the rink and absorb 100 percent of the risk, not the town. Rentals would fund loan repayment, which is well understood because Belmont Youth Hockey currently pays market rent for 75 percent of the ice time, which would continue.

5. Budget Savings: The Belmont budget would no longer be responsible for rink operations, maintenance or repairs; new rink operations will fund them.

6. Ownership: The rink is a school-owned facility, and the new site would remain school-owned property.

7. New High School: The rink would move to the western edge of school property. This removes a physical barrier in the middle of school land, which creates more options for BHS site planning.

8. Timing: This project could be completed in two years, long before a new high school could be built. It would not get in the way.

9. No Loss of Fields: The old rink site would be converted into new, better fields to replace the old softball and practice fields, with no net loss of fields. Community Preservation Act money could fund the field conversion. CPA funds must be used for recreation, open space, affordable housing or historic preservation and cannot be used for schools, libraries, or police stations.

10. BHS Hockey Teams: Rink failure would be devastating to the high school program – rental costs are high, rink time is scarce, and practices would be late-night. With a new rink, BHS teams would continue to get first-choice ice times for free.

11. Belmont Youth Hockey: BYHA is leading this project to create a modern, reliable rink to serve better the town. They would receive no financial consideration and would continue to pay market rates for rental.

I’ve done a lot of fundraising. I’ve led a lot of volunteer projects. This level of private contribution is rare. Belmont is lucky to have donors and volunteers willing to make this happen.

I believe that Belmont should move forward with this opportunity as soon as the necessary details can be worked out.

Ellen Schreiber is a Town Meeting Member, a member of the Warrant Committee, secretary of the Underwood Pool Building Committee, co-chair of the Joey’s Park rebuild and hockey mom.

‘The Final Countdown!’ Cushing Village Developers Must Close by Nov. 19

Photo: After more than two years after being approved to build the project, Cushing Village remains a concept, rather than a development site. 

After a more than two-year hold-up on building the largest commercial development in Belmont in decades, the end – one way or another – appears in sight as the partnership seeking to construct the long-delayed Cushing Village project have less than three weeks to take possession of a valuable town-owned parcel before a special permit expires on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Now 27 months since Bedford-based Smith Legacy Partners won approval from the town’s Planning Board to pursue a building permit for the 187,000 square foot retail/residential/parking complex situated at the corner of Trapelo Road and Common Street, at least one town official is expressing cautious optimism the developers – Smith Legacy joined with the Cambridge firm Urban Spaces this spring – will meet the new due date.

“There’s still some T’s being crossed, and I’s dotted, as long as there’re no further substantive changes, then [this can move forward],” said Sami Baghdady, chair of the Belmont Board of Selectmen at its meeting held Tuesday morning, Oct. 27.

Yet Baghdady made his statement after the board voted Tuesday to approve revisions to a parking management and easement agreements the board approved six weeks ago with the developers after demands by the project’s potential bankers “requesting changes to the language in the documents to protect lender’s rights,” said Baghdady.

Town officials said later the modifications did not alter the 50 parking spaces the town will receive in the Cushing Village complex.

Baghdady noted that in addition to the $850,000 payment the development team must make to Belmont for the parking lot, the developers are required to obtain a building permit and close on the property’s ownership by the 19th.

While saying the board has been “frustrated by the process,” Selectman Mark Paolillo said the more than two years of deferred action “is not this board or the town. Unfortunately, it’s the developers. Hopefully, this is the final delay.” 

The development team is seeking to construct a three-structure complex comprising 115 apartments, 36,000 square feet of retail/commercial space and a garage complex with 230 parking spaces.

Sports: Brams Finishes Home Career Undefeated as Girls’ X-C Goes 6-1

Photo: Senior Leah Brams finishing first, again, on her home course. 

She has been a familiar figure along Belmont’s Clay Pit Pond course during the cross country season over the past four years: the quick leg turnover and powerful stride of the harrier with the French braid who was always in front of the pack during the girls’ varsity race.

Since the day she stepped on the starter’s line as a freshman, Belmont High’s Leah Brams has been untouchable running the 3.1-mile (five kilometers) course, only rarely being tested by girls who tried – but never succeeded – to run her down in the tree-lined allée leading to the finish line. 

Brams ended her remarkable running career Monday going undefeated on her home course, and finishing first in the season’s final dual meet against Watertown on Tuesday, Oct. 26. 

Brams isn’t one to think nostalgically about the venue.

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“It’s more of relief that I never have to run around the Pond again,” said Brams after the race, although saying later that it will be “kinda sad.” 

And while the senior was seeking to go out in style with a new course record, she just missed out on her goal finishing a solo run essentially in 19 minutes and 2 seconds, just four seconds from tying her PR.

Oh well, said Brams, she’ll just have to set her personal record at the Middlesex League meet on Monday, an event who won twice – as a freshman and sophomore – while finishing second last year.

In her four years, Brams has only lost one dual meet, in Woburn last year.

And this year’s league meet will see Belmont challenge Lexington – the only team to beat the Marauders in their 6-1 regular season – to earn the team’s first overall title in 15 years. 

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“I think we can beat them. We didn’t have our best times when they came here,” said Brams.

The Watertown meet saw Belmont flex its muscles, winning 17-44, taking the first four places and 10 of the top dozen. 

Following Brams was junior (and Washington State transplant) Sara Naumann (2nd, 19:50), freshman Audrey Christo (3rd, 20:10), seniors Sophia Klimasmith (4th, 20:28) Meredith Hughes (7th, 21:10), sophomore Camilla Carere (8th, 21:25), freshman Eleanor Amer (9th21:26), and seniors Emma Chambers (10th, 21:32), Carly Tymm (11th, 22:21) and Diana Benea (12th, 22:39).